1933-34 World Wide Gum Ice Kings #5 – Earl Robinson

I’ve collected hockey cards for over 20 years and never saw an original “Ice Kings” card until recently, when I found this one at a show for $20. Granted, you don’t just go to a card show and say “I’ll think I’ll buy some Ice Kings cards today,” unless you mean the ones of the Donruss variety.

But when a dealer showed this card to me…I hesitated. While I’ve never seen an Ice King in person, this card was in such terrible shape, I had to think if I really wanted to spend $20 on such a crummy-looking card.

Then I remembered some advice my Aunt Gayle once gave me when I was a kid–if you go to a card show, try to get something you won’t find anywhere else. Not counting the interwebs, I have never seen a card from this set.

Thus, I decided to buy this card of Montreal Maroons right wing Earl Robinson. It has clearly seen better days–those days being the 1933-34 season, when some kid bought a pack of World Wide Gum and got this card with it.

Some might say this card was abused. I say it was loved. The crease running vertically down the middle signifies that it was folded in half—-maybe to put in a pocket when taken to school, or tucked it in a sleeve to keep a teacher from confiscating it. It was folded so it could be put somewhere. Whoever owned this card circa 1934 wasn’t thinking of future value–they were thinking of keeping it safe.

Either that, or they were just clumsy.

The back of the card doesn’t look much better.

Did someone–GASP!–glue this card somewhere? Again, the owner of this card 75 years ago wasn’t thinking of maintaining its collectibility; they were thinking of putting it in a place they could see it, where it would make them happy. Maybe it was glued to their bedroom wall or in a scrapbook with pictures of other Montreal Maroons players.

The glue and paper loss makes the text hard to read, so I’ve transcribed it the best I could:

Earl began as a juvenile with the North Branch of the Montreal Y.M.C.A. only 13 years ago. He rose steadily, playing with the Strathcona High Squad, followed by the Royal Juniors, the Royal Bank and the Victorias. He turned “pro.” in 1927 with Philadelphia, came to the Maroons in 1928 and aside from a few trips to Windsor, has remained there since. He is 26 and weighs 153 pounds.

The season after this card was issued, Robinson led the Maroons in scoring, and the Maroons won their second and last Stanley Cup championship. Robinson also played for the last-ever Maroons squad in 1937-38

Condition-wise, this card is one of the poorest in my collection. It is also one of (but not the) oldest cards that I own. But it might be another 20 yeas before I come across another Ice King. ■

Follow Sal Barry on Twitter @PuckJunk. 

Upper Deck released a more affordable hockey card set in the mid-1990s called Collector’s Choice. At 99 cents per pack, the set was aimed at kids who weren’t mature enough to collect “grown up” Upper Deck hockey cards at $2.49 per pack. Since Collector’s Choice had to be “kiddified,” some cards included a crudely drawn mascot named Chippy.

No, no no…not CLIPPY….CHIPPY.

Both are pretty annoying, though what makes Chippy worse is that he looks like the fat kid that bullied me in grammar school.

In the 1997-98 Collector’s Choice Hockey set, the last 8 cards are checklists featuring Chippy. On each card, Chippy offers collecting advice. My favorite tip is on card #316:

Chippy on taking care of your cards…The better shape your cards are in, the more fun they are. It’s a good idea to keep your cards in clear plastic sheets in a binder. That way, you can enjoy your collection while keeping it in mint condition.

I did not know that keeping my cards in “mint condition”–as if there was truly such a thing–made my cards more fun. In my “pre-collector” days, I used to tape cards to my notebook, or play a game of “flips” with them, or throw them at my friends like Gambit throws playing cards in the  X-Men comic books. That was way more fun than putting them in a binder…though in retrospect, I wish I didn’t tape that Brett Hull rookie card to my notebook. If only Chippy existed in 1989 to stop me from my fun.

And why can’t Chippy just cut through the B.S., level with us and say that keeping our 1990s hockey cards in mint condition will make them worth lots of money, while also making us smarter and more likeable to girls? Of course, I’d be happy if one of those things were true.

2010-11 Upper Deck #158 – Dave Bolland

Awesome photography has practically defined Upper Deck hockey cards since they entered the market in 1990. For two decades, the set’s range of close-ups, candid moments and action photos has brought us closer to the game we all know and love.

But on their 2010-11 card of Blackhawks’ center Dave Bolland, Upper Deck chose a photo that daringly moved a few steps back–taking us from being in the game, and putting us at the game instead.

It is being removed from the “on-ice” view that makes this card special.The poor composition makes the photo look like it was hastily snapped by a spectator with a cell phone camera. We see things from the fans’ perspective, as the picture was taken at least several rows back from the glass, in the midst of the United Center crowed. Our view of Bolland, through the glass, is partially obstructed by the stanchions and the outstretched arms of ‘Hawks fans.

We feel like we are there, celebrating Bolland’s goal with the other Blackhawks’ fans.

In using a less-than-ideal photo, Upper Deck made this moment feel all the more real.

Bolland scored 3 goals and 3 assists in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. This picture was taken seconds after he scored in Game 5. Here is video of that goal.

1989-90 Procards AHL/IHL #22 – Gordie Walker

You probably could not help but notice that the flaming hockey stick on the card above–a gimmick you most likely would not see today. But back in the 1990s, minor league hockey cards were a great source for all things wacky and tacky. From stupid mascots (hello Buzz the Beaver) to showboating for the camera, if it was a bad idea, it probably graced the front of a minor league hockey card. Continue reading “Card of the Week: Flame On!”